Biodegradable & Near-Infrared Fluorescent Carbon Dot Probe for Hypoxic Tumor Detection

Hypoxia is a regular characteristic amongst solid tumors and their resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments. The fabrication of hypoxia-sensitive fluorescent probes has garnered recent focus in tumor diagnostics and cancer treatment course of action. Here, we have developed an amine rich carbon dot (CD) probe functionalized with a nitroimidazole group that can exhibit near-infrared emission in a hypoxic environment. This probe was further found to be degradable in the presence of  human digestive enzymes such as lipase. The probe has shown promising signals in ex-vivo tissue imaging wherein strong signals were obtained even at 5 mm and 10 mm depths at near-infrared emission.